


Of Scales & Feathers: The Mermaid

by GreenRoyale



Series: A Tale... [1]
Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Princesses, Marvel, The Little Mermaid - All Media Types
Genre: Ariel - Freeform, Feminism, Feminist, Ficlet, Gen, Oneshot, Supernatural - Freeform, Swim, Swimming, The little mermaid - Freeform, Tumblr, accessibility, mermaid, wheelchair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 11:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11691087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenRoyale/pseuds/GreenRoyale
Summary: Chapter: The Mermaid





	Of Scales & Feathers: The Mermaid

**Author's Note:**

> Works are un-beta'd. Do flag if any mistakes are seen in the post. This work series is inspired by a tumblr post by c0ffeekitten.

_ **The Mermaid** _

 

The crowd was bustling with excitement. The biennial swimming competition was held in a lake as usual, lifeguards standing ready by the different checkpoints while coaches of participants signed their swimmers in. It wasn’t long before they were all taking their stations.

 

At the same time, one particular coach grew exceedingly nervous as he glances at the time. His swimmer was late again, despite constant reminders.

 

“Coach!” the voice of a girl startled him, earning his attention. “Sorry I’m late. I brought my substitute.”

 

The coach held his breath, trying not to blow up right at that moment when he saw his swimmer. “Where is she?”

 

“Introducing your star for the day,” the girl said, gesturing to the one behind her. Her substitute swimmer rolled in on a wheelchair, dressed in a one-piece swimsuit and a blanket over her legs.

 

The coach took a moment, smiled to the girl and then turned back to his original participant. “Mikaela, can I speak to you for a sec?”

 

“Sure, coach!” the girl chirped as she walked away just a few steps from the substitute.

 

“What are you playing at? You do remember that this is a swimming competition, right?” he chided in a softer voice.

 

In the background, the wheelchair-using girl became restless. The water looked so nice and cooling, she loved to swim.

 

“Yeah, that’s why I brought the next best swimmer to replace your best swimmer! Trust me, coach. She’s really good. You have to give her some space to show it,” Mikaela insisted. “Please, coach. I mean, if we lose you can cut me from the team.”

 

The coach turned to her in surprise. “Why the hell would I do that?” he sighed and shook his head, passing the file and form to Mikaela to fill in. “Fill it up and hand it in. I take your word for it, Mikaela. I’m gonna talk to the lifeguards.”

 

When the coach walked away, Mikaela turned to her friend with an excited grin, pushing her rainbow-coloured hair from falling over her face. “Are you ready, champion?”

 

“I’m so nervous,” she said, clutching her blanket and biting her lower lip. Mikaela then just giggled and shrugged, pulling out a bottle of sunscreen for them both to put on.

 

“Well, it’s good to be nervous. You’re in a competition, nervous is a feeling you should be feeling. It helps propel you forward!” Mikaela started to slather her friend’s arms with sunscreen and straightened up, tapping on the file with a pen. “I better go hand this in. I’ll be right back.”

 

As soon as the form was handed in, news began to spread like wildfire. A wheelchair-user was going to participate in the swimming competition and mixed reactions were coming out from both competitors as well as audiences.

 

“Hey, come here!” a competing coach gestured to one of the event’s staff who was passing by. “Are you kidding? This isn’t a fair race. She can’t possibly qualify.”

 

“The terms and conditions only state that you have to be female and a student of Paisley High School, she qualifies for both,” the staff said before excusing herself and leaving to attend to other pressing matters.

 

“Ridiculous,” the angered coach huffed, turning back to his swimmer.

 

“Dad, it’s okay. You gotta have faith in your mermaid,” the swimmer said.

 

She was a tall blonde girl with bright blue eyes and a charming smile. Her friends were all standing around her for support, knowing just how great she was as a swimmer. In fact, she was a defending champion for the school swimming team in her age division.

 

“They switched their swimmer at the last minute too, that’s hardly fair, sweetie,” her father complained, shaking his head as he looked over to the waters.

 

“Dad, I’m gonna go say hi to her,” the girl said, glancing over to her new competitor.

 

“Do not taunt her, Tina,” her father warned firmly, knowing exactly what teenage girls her age could be like.

 

“Relax,” was all she said, tapping her father’s arm before walking over.

 

Today is the day for her to showcase her talent, the new participant thought. She couldn’t wait to just get in there and swim. The sun was kind too, not too hot and not too bright. The weather just right for a swim.

 

“Hey there,” the blonde girl said, smiling to the other. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Albertina Prose. You can call me Tina.”

 

“Arielle Brookes,” the other replied, taking the offered hand and shaking it with a smile. “I’ve seen you in school. You’re a great swimmer.”

 

“Aw thanks,” Tina said, smiling and then looking at her. “Arielle, like the Little Mermaid?”

 

“Yes, like the Little Mermaid,” the other confirmed, nodding to her. To be honest, she didn’t know what else she should be saying. Tina could be here for an absolutely obvious reason, to taunt or demotivate her. It was what competitors do. Arielle already knew that.

 

“Well then you are in the right place,” Tina said, glancing over to the distance where Mikaela was just walking towards them. “The winner will be crowned a mermaid, you know? I guess I should go and prepare, you should too. Good luck!”

 

At that, the blonde girl turned away and walked back to her station. Mikaela looked to the girl who had just left and then to her friend.

 

“What did she say?”

 

“Nothing. Just wishing me luck,” Arielle replied with a smile. “Come on. I need to go up front soon.”

 

And she was right. The competition was soon announced to begin within minutes. The girls stood on a platform, Arielle seated by the edge just where the others were standing and balancing as they waited for the gunshot. Right next to Arielle was Tina, and when she glanced over to the blonde, she only saw determination.

 

It was crazy how competitive they all were for a swimming race to win the title of a mermaid. Waiting at the literal edge of land, they all took their positions and then took the dive when they hear the gunshot which symbolised the start of the race.

 

The audience cheered and clapped, the lifeguards at the ready. The swimmers were all swimming to reach the finishing docks just metres away from the start.

 

Most of the audience were actually trying to catch a glimpse of the swimmers, needing to know where everyone was exactly. Especially that particular special swimmer. They could see heads bobbing up for breaths, distance now clearly put in between swimmers and people could now see who may or may not be winning.

 

It was then they all started to cheer louder when they saw who it was that put almost two body-length’s distance between her and the next swimmer. Mikaela was practically screaming in excitement and within moments, the winner had touched the wood of the docks.

 

She turned back to see where she was, just in time to see her competitor coming in second and grinned as she waved back at the audience who cheered for her. The one who came in second slapped the surface of the water in disappointment for losing the title this year, but it didn’t quite matter when the winner was to be crowned.

 

Everyone cheered and clapped as the top three swimmers were announced, inviting them to a small stage that was set up for them. The organiser came forth, giving the girls a medal each and then finally crowning the mermaid with a flower wreath on her head.

 

“And this year’s Mermaid! Give it up for Arielle Brookes!” the announcer said, earning the cheers that the audience was giving.

 

Tina stood in the second place, smiling and finally coming to terms that there was nothing she could have done to get the first place. Two body lengths wasn’t something a little more legwork could have helped her with, but at least she got movie tickets for two.

 

It was the beginning of something that neither the students nor the coaches would understand. It was the start of a new chapter in history. The town was going to be greeted with happenings they would never believe to be possible.

 

It was the beginning of a tale…

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this post!   
> https://c0ffeekitten.tumblr.com/post/163691443729


End file.
